Zero Feathers
by beautiful imperfections
Summary: Fang," I whispered and he stared at me expectantly. "Can you tell that I'm different, from before?" He nodded. "Yeah, Max. I think we've all changed. It's been a long two years."


**_Zero _**_**Feathers**_

_**

* * *

**_I extended my wings and jumped up into the sky from a stand still, joining my Flock that were hovering above me. Each one of them peered at me anxiously, as if they weren't sure it was really me. My heart ached but I forced a reassuring smile on my face. Angel tried to return it, but failed and turned away. I tried not to notice the way Fang nodded to her and she brighter slightly.

_That was suppose to be me. _

There was no way I was going to allow myself to be jealous over Fang. I was still their leader, they just had to readjust. I had changed and so had they, but it couldn't be _that _much, could it? Once again I felt like punching some lights out of the Whitecoats who were always ruining our life. And now it seemed they had taken my Flock away. I blinked furiously to keep the tears away. I am Maximum Ride, and two years away from the Flock-my Flock-hadn't changed that.

Clearing my voice, I said, "Let's go." We wheeled around to the north. I flew up besides Fang, watching the rest of the Flock flying in front of us. I couldn't believe how much they've grown up without me. Fang had done a darn good job and once again I was feeling unneeded. They didn't seem to need, or even want me for that matter. I swallowed hard.

"Yo."

I turned to see Fang intently watching me. "What?" I said, trying to sound like I would've two years ago. Sooner or later they were all going to find out that I wasn't their same leader. I was on the verge of being damaged goods.

"You okay?"

With those two words, I could tell that while he suspected I wasn't okay, he couldn't tell. No longer could he read me like an open book and again I felt a tug at my heart. I wanted to break down the walls that I had up, but I was afraid-yes me, afraid- that they'd never accept me if I did. I was trying to hide behind a mask of confidence that I once had. Now I was unsure of myself.

"Of course." I inwardly winced at the tone of my voice. I sounded like Fang, with absolutely no emotion. I took a deep breath and mentally ran through what I would have said. "You've seemed to have handle everything well." I patted myself on the back. I had managed not only to keep my bitterness out of my voice but sound somewhat normal. I had known the old Maximum Ride better than anyone. Maybe I would be able to keep up my act.

I shot him a grin that I hoped looked real. "I see we've lost Akila." I almost stumbled over the 'we'. He didn't seem to notice.

He shrugged as much as you can while flying two thousand feet in the air. "There was no way to carry her. Total mourned for about a month, then got over her."

I glanced at the little black dog that Iggy was carrying up ahead. He had yet to speak since I arrived late last night, though now I could faintly hear him murmuring to Iggy. The wings he had seemed to be growing when I was first caught by the school never fully grew in.

A comfortable silence fell between us, and I began to whiz through the possible opportunities for our future plans. A sudden thought struck me and I turned back to Fang. While last night we'd given a general overview of what had happened to us over the last couple of years, no one had mentioned what they were up to right now.

"What had been your guys' plan before you ran into me?" If I was lucky maybe I could mooch off Fang while I got the hang of being my old self. If I pretended enough, maybe she would come back. Ha, ha, as if.

"Since we left your mom's a while back, we've been moving around, hoping to find a permanent home." He shrugged. "We haven't been too serious."

I nodded, thinking it over. With what I've seen lately, I knew there was nothing I could try to do to take down Itex. I didn't even want to try. But I knew the old Max would've so I made a lame attempt.

"We still haven't defeated Itex. Have you guys not have any DV problems?" DV were the new version of Flyboys, though they resembled Erasers a lot more. They were part wolf, part human and part bat. Mostly, they were humans that could morph into vampire bats/wolves. They could fly, but man, they could fight too. Very scary. DV stands for demonic vampires. The name curiosity of Angel and Nudge.

"Actually, not for a month or so. It's been weird. What about you?" Fang asked me.

I shook my head. "Nope, nothing since I've escaped." _Only in my dreams. _I shuddered, thinking about how tonight might go. Last night, I'd taken the whole watch but I knew I needed to get some sleep soon. I hated the thought of waking everyone up with my horrid screaming.

* * *

_"No, please, no, no." I tried to run, tried to fly but they had me, their red eyes shinning with their victory. I was caught and this was the end. The leader, Asha, brushed back my hair, leaving my skinny neck horribly exposed. He cackled manically._

_"I'm going to enjoy this, Maximum Nothing." As he insulted me, he bared his teeth and brought them down. I felt them scrape my neck._

_"Nooo!"_

"Max, Max! Max, wake up."

I opened my eyes to see four worried faces staring down at me. Fang's was missing but I felt his familiar arms rocking me gently. I was ashamed when I burst into tears and buried my face in my hands. It was just a dream but here I was crying like Angel did as a baby.

"It's okay, Max. No one thinks you're a baby." I heard Angel's smoothing voice but as I began to hiccup, I pretended not to. I was beyond mortified. How was I to resume being their leader if I couldn't handle one nightmare? I clamped down on my thoughts so Angel wouldn't hear anything else.

Pulling away from Fang, I rubbed my eyes. "Sorry, guys. Go back to sleep. I'm fine." They looked skeptical but were too tired to argue. Except for Fang, of course.

"What was that about?" he asked as we sat back around the fire. The rest of the Flock slept in the tree above us.

I leaned my head back and looked up at the stars through the branches. For a second I felt like the fourteen years old girl talking with her best friend. For some reason now, I felt like myself-my old self- and wanted to savor it, but I knew Fang was awaiting an answer.

"It was just a dream. A nightmare." I stirred the fire with a random stick that was lying next to me. If I knew Fang like I thought I did, he wouldn't leave it at that and I braced myself for more inquiry.

But then again, it'd been a long two years and nothing came. Back then I would have loved a moment of peace but now I was saddened that he didn't persist. The past was behind us but I wanted it back. I wanted to be the same and I wanted Fang to be the same. And all too soon, I knew I would be discovering how much the rest of the Flock changed.

I'd lost myself and my Flock, and I wasn't sure if I liked it.

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_**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading the first chapter of Zero Feathers. I hoped you liked it and pretty please review. Any type of feedback is always enjoyed._

_**11/26/08 Update: **All right so I was reading through this and I thought that it sounded alot like a one shot. A one shot with a little bit of a cliffie. And since I didn't get as many reviews as I hoped and since I'm really working on Demanded* I decided that this is it. Thanks,__ Shy13Fang and bloodfang theotherrandomflockmember for your reviews. _

_Have a Happy Thanksgiving! _

_*Please check this story out! As long as you don't mind a little bit of sex. Nothing major, draw out or totally sickening. 13 and older. Rated M. New Twist and no cliches!(I hope so anyways. lol)  
_


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